NE OH Gathering, September 28-29-30, 2012

July was a fantastic gathering as was May, 2012 and three wonderful gatherings in 2011. We missed a few regulars and gained a few new folks. It is time again for another NE OH Gathering, to get out shooting film and wetplate, come together to see recent work, climb ledges, walk the OH & Erie Canal, photograph waterfalls, explore the Ohiofarmmuseum.com and have group fun at a gathering of like minded friends and hopefully new faces.

Dolly, the Girls, three yellow lady Labrador Retrievers and I would like to invite you to our home for a film photography gathering starting 5 PM Friday, September 28th and continuing through September 29th and 30th. We have been doing this, several times a year, for five years with attendance ranging from 10-25 photographers. It has been a blast for us. I hope you have enjoyed it as much or will try it for the first time at this event. For more information about the flavor of these events read the threads on earlier NE OH Gatherings.

Please note the obvious, waterfalls can be dangerous. The day after our May, 2011 event a person unknown to us slipped and fell sixty feet to his death at Brandywine Falls.

Virginia Kendall Ledges
Everett Road Covered Bridge
Maps http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/maps.htm
The National Park Service offers a general paper map of the whole park. We will have a stack of these waiting for you. Please ask if you don’t see them.

Several visitors have been interested in the OH Turnpike bridge over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the three 19th century churches in the scenic little town of Peninsula, OH.

There is often fog early in the morning in the Cuyahoga River Valley and locally over our pond. This can be natural or self induced depending on activities. It can add interesting aspects to your photography. Some have slept in for five years and never noticed. It is your decision.

If nature/landscape is not your thing, Cleveland, the Flats, where it is difficult to take a picture with less than three bridges, and five is more likely, awaits you. At the May event two Large Formaters set up at sunrise at the Russian Orthodox St. Theodosius church, with its 13 onion domes. http://sttheodosius.org/home_1.html
It is a beautiful building inside and out and the people we met were most welcoming.

“The Ohio & Erie Canal was a technological marvel. The inland waterway incorporated a series of sandstone locks that enabled boats to climb differences in elevation along the Continental Divide. The steepest section of the canal was between Akron and the Little Cuyahoga River. In a single mile, 15 locks, or "steps," were necessary.”

Richfield Ohio’s Jim Fry has created The Museum of Western Reserve Farms and Equipment, dedicated to preserving the tools, equipment, skills and way of life lived by Ohioans in the 1800s. Mr. Fry, a farmer, historian, and artist, has collected 44 buildings including what may be the largest surviving early blacksmith shop in Ohio, the oldest barn in the state, the Stouffer farm smokehouse, and one of the largest surviving post and beam barns in Summit County. The farm is constantly evolving as animals, tools, buildings, machines, in various states of preservation are added or combined into exhibits. This is 1.4 miles from our house. http://www.Ohiofarmmuseum.com/ At this posting that website is not functioning.

On occasion it has been too hot, too wet, too tired, to hike in the woods lugging heavy gear. We are fortunate to be located between the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Akron Art Museum. Both have very good photography departments and have been kind enough to have excellent exhibits coinciding with our calendar. We have been known to drop dirty, sweaty gear behind, make a group visit to an ethnic restaurant and attend either or both museums as needed. It is all about like minded individuals sharing an interest.

The event will be in Bath, Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron, five miles south of the intersection of the Ohio Turnpike and Route I-77, meeting at a private home, two miles from the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For a rough estimate of time and distance use zip 44286 in Mapquest.com. If some visitors want to camp by the garden, they are most welcome. Others can stay at local motels. The Hampton Inn, Richfield, OH (1 800 Hampton) and Motel 6 Richfield at the OH Turnpike entrance and intersection with I-77 about five miles from our house are the most popular.

Come as early as Friday, 5:00 PM. Saturday we gather at 9 AM and 5:00 PM to go shooting, show prints, tell lies and go out to dinner. Alternatively we have been known to call in pizza. Print showing and pizza eating are done at separate times with a cleaning of paws in between. Sunset shooting is available, but previously showing prints and telling stories prevailed. Sunday we usually go out to breakfast at 10:00 AM to allow for early shooters and late sleepers. Some stay on to shoot, others start the long drive home. We have drawn film photo crazies from: OH, WI, IL, IN, MI, PA and CT. It is all about the camaraderie of people following a hobby. While you are here the Lady Labradors will entertain with their splashing stick routines. One regular attendee will try to convince you that bacon ice cream is a bit of heaven. There is an orchard and home made ice cream business near by. Quality control visits and inspection checks are mandatory, often requiring multiple tests.

When we learn how many are coming we can order a porta potty if there are enough to pay for it by contribution ($112 divided amongst us). Our home stumbles through on an ancient septic system and well so we must ask you to endure this porta potty inconvenience. We understand new septic systems are about $20K- 30K and don’t always work as well as the old one.

We are trying to have a loose organizational shell under which all cats may be comfortably herded. The plan will evolve until the majority is happy and the protesters fall asleep.

All film and wetplate shooters are welcome.
Who is interested in coming? What other information is needed?

If you have not been here before please PM me with name, address, phone, email and emergency contact in case you do something you shouldn’t have. I will return with directions and our phone number. If you have been here before but have new information please update us.